Annie Gasbarri

Annie Jean Gasbarri, 91, born on June 06, 1933, in Gallant/Greasy Cove, northern Alabama, United States, and after several years of declining health passed away April 27th 2025 in San Juan Capistrano, CA at a board and care and hospice, just down the street from her loving daughter Terry Lynn Ross.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Forest Lawn, Glendale, CA.

She is survived by her loving children; Terry Lynn Ross and Steven Ray Tarnoff, and her loving grandchildren: Robert Herrera, Moira Leibowitz, and Erin Tarnoff

Those that knew Ann (as she was also called) knew her kind nature, giving heart, love for her children, extended family, and friends.

Her parents were Ellis Murphree and Lorena McCay Murphree, they were a farming family. Annie's ancestry can be traced back to the early 1740's to the colony of North Carolina, then to South Carolina and Tennessee by the 1790's and to Northern Alabama sometime around 1817. Her parents had 10 children but the first 2 died at infancy. Annie was the youngest and last to pass away of the 8 siblings, the last living link of her childhood family household.

Her childhood in Alabama was full of loss and chaos after her mother died during WW2 and her 5 brothers were away off to war. With the boys gone to war farming wasn't working, her father left for California to find work, they all came back but not to a home that they left. All the kids had nicknames, Annie was called Angiebelle by her brothers. Although her extended family did their best to comfort and take care of her it was a very lonely time for her. She was sent to live with her Aunt "Lucibelle", but her aunt also shortly passed away. These tragedies may have made her the empathetic person she became, and for which she is so remembered. Her father Ellis brought Annie and her sister Virginia aka "Bonnie" to Colusa in Northern California.

Although she passed away in Orange County Ann(ie) loved and missed Los Angeles where she spent most of her productive adulthood and healthy long life. Ann(ie) did a complete remake of herself in Los Angeles. She went to modeling and drama school, voice lessons, singing the blues at the USO during the Korean war, and sang at the then renown Hollywood Athletic Club. However Ann(ie) gave up the performing career to dedicate herself more to her children. She involved herself in politics as well. She was on a committee of then Governor Pat Brown (father of former governor Jerry Brown). JFK's sister Patricia Lawford and husband actor Peter Lawford were also on that committee. She had truly left the farm. She moved back to Alabama with her children twice, during the JFK years but Los Angeles always called her back. Overall it was in Los Angeles she lovingly raised her children Terry Lynn and Steven Ray as a struggling single parent.

Ann(ie) met Ezio Gasbarri, a native of Italy, while her children were still in grade school and junior high school. But she remained independent and never married him until her youngest child finished high school. With Ezio Ann(ie) became "Anna". She found stability, they bought a house they lived in for decades, Ezio died in that house and she lived there until her failing health. She loved that house so much, Anna became an honorary Italian. Mama mia! What great Italian cooking she produced!

There is so much to be said about Ann(ie) and her varied life. We all have so many memories of the wonderful person that she was and is in our hearts. We had her for a long time, and are grateful for that, but loss is hard at any age and she will be greatly missed with sadness and remembered for her warmth, understanding, compassion, love, and empathy.